Expanding on Your Pilates Teacher Training

So you’ve done your Pilates teacher training… What comes next? For most people, it’s stepping into teaching and building confidence in their new role. This will most definitely take time because (like any new career, hobby, or sport,) you don’t know what you don’t know until you’ve been doing it for a while. Teacher training is the first big step in learning the Pilates method and how to teach it, but there are a lot of ways to expand your knowledge and expertise. 

Attend Pilates Workshops & Conferences

Pilates events are a great way to expand on your skills, knowledge, and see what else there is out there beyond your teacher training. When I finished my first Pilates teacher training, I stuck close to home. I attended local workshops and anything my first teacher offered. After she moved away, I started to explore other learning options. I went to conferences and took any sessions that sounded interesting. I tried all kinds of teachers and found several that I enjoyed the most. I also attended smaller workshops, even travelling for some. These types of events are usually several days long, and you leave full of energy, ideas, and knowledge – and probably some new Pilates friends. 

Find a Mentor

My first Pilates teacher was also my first mentor. Her studio is where I was introduced to the apparatuses and classical Pilates. After she moved on, though, I discovered other teachers that I followed on social media, took more classes from, and studied under. I have learned lots from the Romana lineage and just completed a training from a teacher who trained under both Romana and Jay Grimes. You, too, will find those who inspire you as both a teacher and student of Pilates.

Do Pilates!

Even now, twenty years into Pilates, I regularly attend Pilates classes. I do at least one class a week, maybe two, and then have my own personal practice at home. One reason is that I don’t feel you should be teaching exercises you haven’t been able to do yourself. Understanding the movements, connections, and what your students experience are all so helpful in becoming a better teacher. Attending classes also exposes you to new ways of teaching – some amazing and others not so great. I always come away from a new teacher having learned or noticed something new. 

Keep Teaching

As a new teacher, I remember my brain being so full! Just trying to remember my training and the setup and number of the springs was challenging at first. Then came the challenge of working with different types of clients, like those who had a special condition or were disconnected/unaware of their bodies. In other clients, I could sometimes see an imbalance or an area of struggle, but I didn’t know how best to help them. That’s because I didn’t (yet) have all the tools, cues, or understanding of the method to always be helpful. Yes, I could keep them safe and moving, but today-Melissa does things a lot differently. 

Do More Teacher Training

All of the things above will help you expand your knowledge and skills as a Pilates teacher. Eventually, though, you may want to do more teacher training to shake things up or simply learn more about the method. This is where a bridge program can come in, which is full comprehensive training for already-trained teachers. For example, you could have trained first in contemporary Pilates and want to be trained in classical. Or maybe you want to do a second classical training from a different lineage. 

I count myself lucky in having had very good teacher training. We stuck to the 500 classical Pilates exercises and what they were for. It was a lot, but it wasn’t complicated or confusing. Today, I’m seeing some teachers learning a lot of complicated exercises that may not even be Pilates, and they aren’t learning the “why” of the exercises, either. They may also be teaching the trendy reformers-only classes and need to invent things to fill up the whole hour. It makes me feisty because I know now that the mat and apparatus are designed to work together to keep clients moving well in everything they do. BUT, we all have to start somewhere, and as they keep learning, they’ll expand just as I have (and continue to do). 

Stay Curious

Learning something new is always a great thing. It keeps you fresh and curious. It helps you look at the same thing from a different angle. It can also boost your confidence and show you that yes, you really do know what you are doing! 

Come Learn With Me

b.Pilates and Fitness is running the next round of teacher training starting in September. 

• Step 1 is Mat Training. 
• Step 2 is Full Comprehensive Training (must have completed a Mat Teacher Training program and b.Pilates Assessment first)
• Option 3 is for teachers who already have Full Comprehensive Training. (b. Pilates Assessment required).  
• Option 4 is to attend our Monthly Workshops.